ams snack machines

[tc vending]

I am new to this site I operate about 30 usi snack machines. I am looking into buying a few ams machine anybody ruining ams snack units for a while?

Thanks Please post advice on ams snack.

[AZVendor]

AMS is a very good choice to run on your routes. They were the first manufacturer to include guaranteed vending in their machines and they are now up to Sensit 3 in their technology. Their chilled snacks are very reliable as long as you keep them away from the wall and keep the vent screens on the bottoms of the cabinets clean. The chilled machines work well in warehouses, warm environments and outdoors in the shade, as long as you know the chiller won't drop the temperature more than 20 - 30 degrees under the ambient temperature.

If you end up with any machines with the original Sensit 1 system, you will need to plan on upgrading the machines to Sensit 3 to rid yourself of sensor problems in the Sensit 1's that are getting very long in the tooth. Immediate upgrading is not necessary as you can get parts for Sensit 1, but they are problematic due to age and you can't usually change only one of the sensors - you need to change them both - and then there could still be issues afterward. Basically, at the sign of Sensit 1 problems you are better off biting the bullet and dropping about 4 bills to upgrade to Sensit 3. You'll be much happier. Any machines with the Sensit 2 system are very reliable and need no upgrades.

[tc vending]

How are their frozen machines? What voltage are the changers and bill acceptors running on?

[mission vending]

I have several of the visi combos. Great machines. I think the frozen line has been discontinued.

[tc vending]

I have new customers 500 people on site 7 days a week operations. They have one frozen machine, I need some adivce what frozen machine would you recommend and any advice on frozen machine operation in general we don't have any frozen machines now.

[AZVendor]

As Mission said, there are no frozen versions of AMS machines, only cold food versions. If you are high on USI machines, you might want to investigate the freestanding model 3532 self contained frozen vendor (not a slave machine). There is also a slave frozen model 3530 but it is a narrow machine and the older FF2000 models in this size had horrible refrigeration performance and reliability. I doubt that they have any better results with the new narrow 3530. The wider (4 across) 3532 will probably have better refrigeration performance because there is more room under the cabinet for airflow, but I have no idea of the reliablity of this machine, and it will cost a fortune to buy.

My recommendation is to purchase remanufactured AP 320 Ala Carte machines. The frozen 320 is a 5 wide cabinet and can be slaved to a late model AP snack (120 series or later) and has an excellent refrigeration unit when properly maintained. If you don't have an AP snack to slave it to you can get an AP310 tower that bolts to the left side of the 320 cabinet and houses the logic board, coin mech and validator. The 320 is still available new from AP/Crane if you needed to provide new equipment and it's comprable to the price of a new USI frozen with better design and reliability. Late model 320's have the Goldeneye guaranteed vend feature, though it can be added to earlier models as well.

Frozen vending is different primarily in how you transport the product. You will have to buy frozen products and then they must remain frozen when transporting to the machine. If they ever reach 32 deg. you cannot re-freeze it. If you do ice cream, you will want to transport it using dry ice. The best way to do ice cream is to purchase it, cover with dry ice, take it directly to the machine and put it all in the machine.

Maintenance is keeping the condenser and vent screens clean and keeping the machine away from the wall for good airflow. If you have any spilled or leaking product from any meltdown (power outages, etc) you must get it all cleaned up to prevent bad odors, sticky shelves and sticky rubber gaskets. A frozen machine must be on its own 20 amp circuit, sharing it with no other machine as the compressor will pull upwards of 18 amps when starting.

[tc vending]

<p>Thank you for all the adivce it was very helpful.

[AZVendor]

TC, I forgot to answer one of your questions - all of these machines will be using MDB coin mechs and validators.

[kiwi]

How are their frozen machines? What voltage are the changers and bill acceptors running on?

I was told by Bill (Technivend) that AMS have ceased manufacturing their Frozen Food machine which is why it's not on the AMS website anymore. You may still be able to purchase the AMS Frozen from one of their distributors if they still have them in stock.

Your other options for frozen food machines are Fastcorp, AP & USI.

I don't own any Fastcorp's so can't really comment on them but I do like the fact that products last alot longer in the event of a meltdown because everything is contained in the chest freezer.

The AP A LA CARTE is also a quality machine. A company I use to work for 15 years ago used them & they are still in operation today. The only thing I disliked about them was the amount of floor space they take up on location because they are so big when banked to the tower.

You may also want to look at the USI slave considering you are already using USI snack machines. We use both the older FF2000 & newer Combi models slaved to our snack machines. While I think the newer Combi is better than the FF2000 we still have issue's.

I have also been told that USI were discontinuing their slave frozen line so that they could concentrate on their standalone model which I have heard is a better design.

[mission vending]

While I think the newer Combi is better than the FF2000 we still have issue's.

Agree with that, my FF2000's are not going to be repaired, they will be retired. I've got one of the older Fastcorp's, it a good machine the only thing I don't like about it is that I've never been very successful getting large items like burgers to vend consistently. No problem with smaller flat items like ice cream, Hot Pockets, burritos, things like that.

Got one of the AP's in storage, its a monster of a machine, a 5W frozen machine that can do everything from a ice cream sandwich to frozen TV dinners so you need a really big account to justify it.

[AngryChris]

This is off topic but.. I am taking a completely different route with my business for the time being. I am trying to avoid food machines for as long as possible until I have adequate cash flow and I can land a large account (large enough to justify buying food). Then, once I make the change (if I do), I will start going for more large accounts that require food as a selling point. You know what they say, once you get food machines, you never go back.

That is what they say, right?

[AZVendor]

No, Chris, what they say is once you do food you wish you never did. </p>